The present invention relates in general to molded, plastic bottles and containers. More particularly, the present invention relates to plastic bottles for motor oil and similar products which have been sized and shaped so as to be stackable with each other in an offset pyramidal arrangement.
For many years, automobile motor oil has been offered in either one-quart metal cans or one-quart containers made up of a combination of laminated and lined cardboard for the body and metal for the ends. These cans are typically arranged with a generally straight, cylindrical body and substantially flat ends, which were oriented so as to be perpendicular to the body. Not only do these containers pack neatly into a case (12 cans) but their relative height and diameter dimensions result in a somewhat idealized size for compactness of a one-quart volume.
A further opportunity with these cylindrical oil cans is the ability to stack them compactly into outside, columnar racks for display at service stations. It is also possible to stack the cans into a pyramidal configuration for display such as in a service station window. This ability to stack and display the cans of motor oil is widely employed and somewhat of a "traditional" approach in the advertising and promotion of motor oil. A stacked arrangement enhances the visibility of the product to a passing motorist and to service station customers. Since product visibility is an important aspect of marketing, the ability to stack cylindrical oil cans satisfies this aspect while making the motor oil readily available to the service station attendant when required for a customer.
Within the past two years or so, plastic motor oil bottles have begun to replace the long-time standards of the industry, metal and cardboard cans. Although the plastic bottles could probably be produced so as to duplicate the size and shape of the type of cans they are replacing, bottle manufacturers and the oil companies have elected to go to a bottle design wherein a pouring spout is provided with a screw-on, resealable cap. This new design allows an easy way to open and dispense the oil without requiring the well-known, push-in, reusable metal spout. A further benefit is the ability to reclose the bottle if only a portion of the contents are used, thus keeping the balance of the contents clean and uncontaminated.
Similar plastic bottle concepts exist for a wide range of household, automotive, food and industrial products. These bottles or containers vary as to their shape and volume, though they all generally include a body portion and some type of neck or spout through which the contents pass as they are dispensed. In certain instances, the containers are provided with handles and in some cases tamper-evident or child-resistant closures are used. Many products originated in plastic containers, while other products evolved from an earlier packaging approach such as a metal can or glass bottle. Since these products were and are typically displayed on horizontal store shelves, the stacking and display in a manner similar to motor oil was never much of a factor or consideration in the marketing approach followed for these products.
When plastic bottles are used, stacking onto one another, such as with cylindrical cans, is unavailable. Due to the neck and spout configuration on plastic bottles, a substantially flat top surface which is used for the stacking is not provided. As previously mentioned, while such plastic containers might be fabricated in a generally cylindrical configuration, one very beneficial and important aspect is the presence of a tapered neck or spout for easy pouring and dispensing of the contents. Since the spout appears to be essential to a suitable plastic bottle design, stackability of current plastic bottle simply is not possible.
When plastic bottles are used for motor oil, the ability to stack and display the motor oil containers in the traditional manner, is not possible. The extended, central spout and the tapering sides of the spout and neck portion preclude the ability to stack these containers and as a result, what is typically done is to stack them in their shipping boxes or crates and simply not make them visible or attractively displayed as was once done for the predecessor style of container for motor oil.
The present invention by its unique shape and contour offers a solution to the aforementioned shortcomings of prior art plastic bottles while still offering all of the cost and usage benefits of such plastic bottles. Whether the bottles are used for motor oil or other products, the benefits of the present invention are equally applicable. The present invention provides a stackable plastic bottle which includes a pair of oppositely disposed recesses between the spout outlet and the body portion of the bottle. These recesses provide a substantially horizontal plateau or shelf portion and an inward peripheral wall. This plateau or shelf portion is designed and arranged such that it is able to receive a portion of the base of the bottles which are stacked thereon and the pyramiding of such bottles, layer after layer, is easily accomplished.